Hegseth Throws Admiral Under the Bus, Says Navy Leader Ordered Boat Survivors Killed
Michael LucianoDec 1st, 2025, 10:07 pm
3617 comments
 AP Photo/Kevin Wolf
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth made clear that he believes Admiral Frank “Mitch” Bradley is the man responsible for a U.S. attack on the survivors of a boat bombing in the Caribbean.
On Sept. 2, the U.S. bombed an alleged drug boat off the coast of Trinidad. According to The Washington Post, Hegseth ordered everyone aboard killed, according to sources familiar with the situation. After the first strike, which was conducted by the Navy, two survivors remained, clinging to the wreckage. Heeding Hegseth’s directive, the Post said Bradly deemed the survivors valid targets and ordered that Hegseth’s directive be carried out. The Navy conducted a second strike and killed the survivors.
Legal experts have said the killing of such survivors is illegal under U.S. and international law. Moreover, the broader boat bombing campaign of alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean and the Pacific is legally suspect.
On Monday night, Hegseth tweeted “support” of Bradley while also making sure to say that the admiral was responsible for “combat decisions”:
Let’s make one thing crystal clear:
Admiral Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a true professional, and has my 100% support. I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made — on the September 2 mission and all others since.
America is fortunate to have such men protecting us. When this
@DeptofWar
says we have the back of our warriors — we mean it.
Fox News Chief Political Analyst Brit Hume quote-tweeted Hegseth and wrote, “How to point the finger at someone while pretending to support him.”
Earlier in the day, Hume said on Fox News that the story could be “a big problem” for the Trump administration.
Over on CNN, Ryan Goodman, former general counsel for the Department of Defense, stated that if Hegseth ordered everyone on the boat killed, the secretary is ultimately responsible for the second strike, regardless of Bradley’s involvement.
“Worst case scenario is what The Washington Post has reported and what CNN has reported, which is that Secretary Hegseth is the one who told Admiral Bradley that he wanted to ensure that there would be no survivors,” Good said. “That’s the worst case scenario. The best case scenario for him is that he gave some instruction to Admiral Bradley, who then interpreted it to mean the very same thing. That would also hold Secretary Hegseth responsible.”
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